Spinning reels



Dec. 27, 1960 Filed July 19, 1954 FiG.1

s. MOMBUR 2,966,314 SPINNING REELS 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 G. MOMBUR SPINNING REELS Dec. 27, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 19, 1954 Q0 n F Dec. 27, 1960 G. MOMBUR 2,966,314

SPINNING REELS Filed July 19, 1954 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 G. MOMBUR SPINNING REELS Dec. 27, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed July 19, 1954 FiG.5 I

United States Patent SPINNING REELS Georges Mombur, 25 Rue de IEglise, Neuilly-sur-Seine, France 'Filed July 19, 1954, Ser. No. 444,335 Claims priority, application France-July 31, 1953 3 Claims. (Cl. 242-84.21)

The present invention relates to an improvement in spinning reels of the type having a reciprocatable spool and an outer rotatable head on which is mounted a line pick-up comprising an arcuate member. The head and pick-up cooperate for evenly rewinding line on the spool, which is reciprocated longitudinally by the spindle on the axis of rotation of the head as the head and pick-up are rotated.

The areuate pick-up member is generally pivoted upon the rotating head on a transverse axis, which is parallel to a chord and more or less laterally offset from a diameter according to whether the member is a half-ring or a more or less complete ring. This arcuate member is usually designed so as not to be swung to open position, thus releasing the line by the pull of the line. In addition, a strong return-spring holds the pick-up in closed position, engaging the line. When the pick-up is in fully open position at the cast, it is locked in this position, the unlocking and returning to closed position being secured automatically by the rotation of the rotating head to wind up the line. With such reels, before each cast, it is necessary to hold the line coming from the spool between the thumb and finger or to hold it with a finger tight against the rod, then to fully open the pickup until it is locked in open position. Afterwards, at the moment of the cast, when the line, pulled by the lure, spins off the end of the stationary spool, it is necessary to synchronize the casting impulse given to the rod exactly with the instantaneous release of the line held by the finger. As these operations are very frequently repeated (often every two or three minutes) during the fishing, they are tiresome and detrimental to the smoothness and accuracy of the cast. In addition, they do not allow the wearing of gloves when the weather is bad or cold as gloves do not allow the drag of the line on the finger to be felt and these movements to be accurately synchronized.

The improvement which is the object of the present invention allows the line to be cast and to be wound in without handling the line which is very thin and often not easily visible. The sensitiveness and thereby the accuracy of the cast are thereby materially increased. The improved reel according to the invention is chiefly characterized in that it is equipped with a locking device for locking the pick-up in its closed position, and releasable .to open through spring action and the pull of the line during the cast-impulse. Means are provided to return the pick-up automatically from the open position to the closed locked position by the rotation of the head in rewinding the line on the spool.

A simple pressure of the finger on the pick-up releases the lock holding the pick-up in the closed or winding position after which the finger releases the pick-up as the cast impulse is given to the rod permitting the pick-up to open freely and allowing the line to spin oil. the end of the spool. A preferred embodiment has an additional lock that is separately actuated. Upon rewinding of the up to the closed position by means of a mechanical connection.

By way of example, two forms of a reel according to the invention will be described hereafter and illustrated in the accompanying drawing. v

Figure 1 illustrates in front elevation and partly in cross-section a first embodiment of the reel.

Figures 2, 3, and 4 show the reel in cross-section along the line 22 of Figure 1 with the pick-up in locked closed position, in the unlocked closed position prior to the cast and in the open position, respectively.

Figures 5, 6 are elevational views of a second embodiment, showing the pick-up in closed and opened positions respectively.

The Figure 7 is a cross-section taken along line 7-7 of Figure 5.

The Figure 8 illustrates a detail of the device.

As shown in Figure 1, the reel includes an outer rotating head 1, supported by a tubular shaft 2 rotatably mounted in the casing 3 which supports an arm 4 for attachment of the reel to a rod, and a crank actuating mechanism 5 for driving the rotating 'head through said shaft 2 and imparting simultaneously, by means of the central shaft 6 passing through the tubular shaft 2, a reciprocating motion along the axis of rotation of the head to the spool 7 mounted on said shaft 6 inside the rotating head 1. Such a mechanism is well known in the art and is described in the French Patent 804,230 issued to the Hardy Brothers. At one end the rotating head is closed, in the first illustrated embodiment, with a stationary plate 8 integral with the casing 3, the rotating head 1 being able to rotate in relation to said plate. As this device is known and is not part of the invention, it is not necessary to describe it in a detailed way but it will suffice to say that the line 9 wound on the spool 7 passes between the head and the arcuate member 10 in its closed positions, which when the rotating head 1 is driven in rotation in the direction of the arrow, winds the line upon the spool 7, said spool being simultaneously reciprocated on the axis of rotation of the head to cause the line to wind evenly on the spool. v p

The arcuate member is pivoted upon an axle 12 tangentially mounted on the rotating head 1. It is provided with a crank arm 11, offset in relation to the axle 12 so that the drag of the line tends to bring about its opening. The member is also provided with an operating arm 13 the end of which is hingedly connected by an axle 14, parallel to the axle 12, to a fitting 15 to which is pivotally connected by a longitudinal axle 16, parallel to the axis of rotation, a connecting rod 17 extending into the rotating head through a lateral aperture 18. By means of this connecting red, the pick-up is locked, as will be later explained, in the closed position, shown in full line in Figure l and is brought to the opened or casting position, shown in dotted line.

The connecting rod 17 (Fig. 2) has a free end in the shape of a bevelled nose 19 and is notched at 20 on the side facing the axis of the rotating head. Near its end, the small connecting rod is provided also with an elongated opening 21 in which engages a crank-pin 22 carried by a crank-like arm 22a pivoted on an axle 23 fixed on a plate 24 mounted inside the rotating head (Fig. l). The crank-like arm 22a is integral with a pinion 25 meshing with a toothed segment 26 pivoted on an axle 27- also fixed on the plate 24. A spring 28 urges the toothed segment 26 to rotate in the direction of the arrow. In addition, the toothed segment is equipped with a crank arm 29 which when the segment has been pivoted by the spring 28, comes into the path (shown in head 1. The segment 26 has been designed to impart tothe pinion 25 supporting the crank-pin 22 a rotation of about half a turn between the two dead centers, to the right and left of the axle 23. In the vicinity of its connection to the fitting 1'5, the connecting rod 17 has a tangentially projecting nose 31 in contact with the free end of a leaf-spring 32, the other end 33 of which is fastened to the rotating head 1 This device operates as follows: in the position of rest. that is to say in the locked closed position of the pickup, as shown in Figure 2, the nose 19 of the small connecting rod 17 is engaged under the axle 23 of the crankpin 22 and held in this position by the leaf-spring 32 which acts on the nose 31 of the connecting rod 17 to urge the connecting rod towards the left as illustrated in Figure 2, so that it becomes impossible to open the pickup by pivoting it clockwise around its axle 12 (Figure 1).

Prior to the cast, a slight finger pressure applied to the arcuate memberv in the direction of the arrow F, Figure l, is enough to unlock it. This pressure pivots the arcuate member counterclockwise round the axle 12 so that the operating arm 13 revolves counterclockwise in the direction of the arrow F (Fig. l), applying a pull towards the right to the connecting rod 17 the nose 19 of which is thereby released from beneath the axle 23 of the crank-pin 22 and, by pivoting clockwise around the axle 16 of the fitting 15, comes into the position shown in Figure 3, with nose 19 free from axle 23,. Simultaneously the leaf-spring 32 is tensioned by the rear nose 31 of'connecting rod 17. The pick-up is now in the unlocked closed position.

If at that moment, the finger pressing upon the arcuate member is released, the segment 26, actuated by the spring 28, rotates clockwise as shown in Fig. 3, and drives the pinion 25 and the crank-pin 22 counterclockwise thus bringing the connecting-rod 17 into the position shown in Figure 4, in which the arcuate member 10 has been swung around axle 12 and the pick-up brought to the fully open position (see also the position 10 in dotted lines, in Figure 1), During this opening motion, the crank-pin 22 has rotated a half turn and the notch 20 of the small connecting rod 17 has overlapped the axle to a known type of reel having an outer rotating head 1, including an integral bottom 34. The rotating head, thereby closed at its base, rotates upon a fixed tubular shaft 2. The said head 1 is rotated by a suitable crank device, not shown, having means for drivingly engaging a conical pinion 35 carried by the integral bottom 34. A stationary plate 50 is positioned within said head and spaced therefrom and preferably formed integral with and 23 of the crank-pin 22, thus stopping the opening motion in the second-dead center position of the crank-pin (Figure 4).

The opening motion, assisted bythe spring 28 of the segment 26 is also facilitated bythe leaf-spring 32, contributing to start the motion. If, in addition, the opening takes place at the same time as the casting impulse is given to the rod, very weak springs are sufiicient because of the pull of the cast line. When the pick-up is in the open position (see Fig. 1), the line spins off the spool pulled by the lure which was actuated by the casting impulse.

To wind up or recover the line 9 after the cast one has only to turn the crank 5 of the reel in the rewinding direction. As the arm 29 of the toothed segment 26 is in the path of the fixed stop 33, the rotation of the rotating head 1, integral with the axle 270i the segment 26, brings the arm 29 into contact with the fixed stop 30 which brings the segment 26 and thereby the pinion 25, the crank-pin 22 and the connecting rod 17 back to the initial positions shown in Figure 2. Thereafter, the rotating head can keep on rotating to wind up the line on the spool 7. V i r It will be noted that, on account of the rotation of the orankpin through about a half-turn, the drive has a very smooth sinusoidal character, with dead centers at both ends of the stroke. While the dead-center; position of the crank-pin should, alone, secure locking of the pick-up, the locking is reforced by the shape and arrangement of the nose 19 and notch 26 and elongated opening of the interior end of connecting rod 17 in cooperating with crank pin 22, arm 22, axle 23 and pinion 25.

Fi ur s :19. 8 r a e. to a see t em od men a applied...

supported by a reduced tubular extension of said tubular fi ed shaft 2.. T e central sh tt 6 of the Steel is ranged inside the hollow stationary shaft 2. This center shaft does not rotate, but is axially reciprocated.

Inside the rotating 'head' 1 as in the first embodiment, the 11 0 7 i mounted. o cent al, shaft 6. o recei e the line 9. The arcuate member 36 of the line pick-up pivoted upon axis XX" (Fig. 7) bymeans of boss-screws 37, 37, screwed directly into bosses 38, 38 on the rotating head 1. The pick-up (Figs. 5 and 6) includes an operating crank arm 39 and a lug 44 directed inwardly to come into Contact with the spring 40 forked around the boss 38 and the pivot-screw 37 and fastened at 41 to the rotating head. A crank linking element 42, pivoted at 43 on the rotating head 1, is movable between the two positions illustrated in Figures 5 and 6. The crank linking element 42 is connected with the operating crank arm 39 of the pick-up 36 by means of a curved connecting toggle link 45 tov form a toggle joint 59 which toggle linkage, is adapted to impart to the pick-up 36 a motion having a wide amplitude. This crank 42 also carries out a very special function, as will be later explained.

Referring to Figure 7, the crank linking element 42 is driven by means of a toothed segment 46 pivoted on an axle 47 i'nteriorly mounted upon the bottom 34 of the rotating head 1 and extending outwards through a side aperture 48 in said rotating head, to mesh with a gear 49 supported by the inner face of the crank 42, concentrically to the axle 43. An arm 51 on the segment 46 is movable to a position as shown in dotted lines when the pick-up is open. The arm then can come into contact with a stop 52 shown in dottedlines on the fixed plate 50. When the rotating portion bearing the segment 46, revolves in the direction of the arrow, the stop 52 engages the arm 51 to turn the segment 46 against the return spring 53 tothe position shown in full lines and thereby to swing the pick-up 36 to the closed locked position.

Furthermore, a notch 54 in the segment 46 can receive the pawl-shapedend 55 of a sliding spring 56 moved by a thumb piece 57. A safety locking of the segment and of the pick-up in a closed locked position is thus assured.

The device operates as follows:

When the pick-up parts are in the closed locked position illustrated in Figure 5, the rotating head can rotate freely. The line 9 is between the rotating head and the. arcuate member which is locked in closed position by the connecting rod 45' and the crank 42, the hinge point or toggle joint 59 of which has passed beyond the line CL shown in dashes, between the pivot centers 43 and 58 of the crank-pin on the rotating head and of the connecting link 45 on the operating arm 39. The longer arm of the, forked spring 40 firmly secures the parts in this position by bearing on the lug 44 of the pick-up. The segment 46 is in the position shown in solid lines in Figure 7.

When casting, as it has been indicated for the embodiment of the Figures 1 to 4, the fisherman does not need to follow a complicated procedure; he has only to manualiy depress or rotate the arcuate member 36 in the direction of the arrow F (Figure 5), to unlock the pick,- up as the operating crank arm 39;, rotating countereloch. wise in the direction of the arrow F, brings the connecting link 45 and the crank link 42 into the line QL joining the pivot points 43-53. It is readily seen in Figure 5 that a pressure applied to the arcuate member results. in biasing an arm of the spring 40 which bears on the lug The t g n m d y h an kaz nd the eonneeting link 45 is unlocked byv this aetion and,

by the action of the spring 53 upon the segment 46 (Figure 7) the toggle-joint starts to rotate in the direction of the arrow F counterclockwise (Fig. but is held back as long as'the finger holds the arcuate member. On casting, the fisherman releases the arcuate member. Through the action of the spring 53 on segment 46 and aided by the pull of the lure on the line 9, the pick-up assumes the open position and the line is released. The several parts are thereby brought into the position shown in Figure 6 and the line 9 can spin freely from the end of the spool 7.

To recover the line, as soon as the rotating head 1 is actuated, the stop 52 (Figure 7) engages the arm 51 to bring the segment 46, the crank 42 and the pick-up back to the positions of Figure 7 in a very smooth manner.

To perfect this assembly, a safety latch-device has been provided in the closed position. A push on the thumb piece 57 brings the nose 55 of the spring 56 into the notch 54 to lock the pick-up in the closed position.

The embodiments above described have been given only by Way of example and the mechanical parts of the various locking and release devices can be altered without departing from the scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. In a spinning reel for use with a fishing rod in casting and rewinding line on a spool, said reel having a supporting means, a cylindrical head with an open spoolreceiving end and a closed end, said head being rotatably mounted on said supporting means for rotation about a longitudinal axis, said reel having a central shaft positioned in said head on said longitudinal axis, said shaft being mounted for reciprocation to support and move said spool in and out of said open end of the head, and said reel having means for simultaneously rotating said head and reciprocating said central shaft and spool to rewind said line on said spool, an improved line pick-up comprising: an arcuate member having opposite ends pivotally attached to said head adjacent the open end of said head, to swing about a pivotal axis lying in a plane normal to said longitudinal axis of said head between three positions, namely, (I) an open position in which said arcuate member is in a plane approximately parallel to the longitudinal axis of the head and extends away from the open end of said head so as to be disengaged from said line, (2) a closed locked position in which said arcuate member is in a plane approximately perpendicular to said longitudinal axis and spaced axially outwardly from said open end of said head and extending around said head for not less than one-half the circumference thereof in a position to engage said line, and (3) a closed unlocked position similar to said closed locked position but further removed from said open position, means for biasing said arcuate member toward said open position, crank means pivotally carried by said head and fixed to said arcuate member adjacent one end thereof, actuating means comprising a stationary driving element carried by said supporting means, a driven element carried by said rotatable head and engageable with said driving element so as to be moved thereby upon relative rotary movement of said head and supporting means and mechanical linkage means operatively connecting said driven element and said crank means to rotate said arcu ate member from open position to closed locked position, said mechanical linkage means including locking means for locking said arcuate member in closed locked position against the bias of said biasing means, said locking means being releasable by manual movement of said arcuate member from closed locked position to closed unlocked position whereby upon release of said arcuate member after manual movement from closed locked to closed unlocked position said arcuate member is moved by said biasing means from closed unlocked position to open position.

2. An improved line pick-up for spinning reels as described in claim 1, wherein said locking means in said mechanical linkage embodies two linking elements pivotally connected to each other to form a toggle joint with the outer end of one of said linking elements being pivotally connected to said crank means and the outer end of the other linking element being pivotally connected to said head, the last-mentioned linking element also carrying means for engaging said driven element for pivotal movement thereof by said driven element and thus effecting movement of said toggle joint linkage and said crank means, said toggle joint having an operable position on each side of a line passing through said pivotal connections at the outer ends of said linking elements with said toggle joint having a greater movement on one side of said line and a lesser movement on the other side of said line, said operable positions of said toggle joint corresponding respectively to said open position and said closed locked position of said arcuate member, said toggle joint being movable from said position of greater movement across said line to said position of lesser movement upon relative rotary movement of said head and said supporting means to thereby lock said arcuate member in said closed locked position, said joint and connected arcuate member being locked from returning to said open position as said toggle joint crosses said line to said position of lesser movement, and said toggle joint being movable from said closed locked position toward said line to a lock releasing position upon manual movement of said arcuate member from closed locked position to closed unlocked position to be thus free to be moved with said arcuate member to said open and greater movement positions by said biasing means upon release of manual pressure on said arcuate member.

3. An improved line pick-up for spinning reels as described in claim 1 wherein said locking means in said mechanical linkage embodies a connecting rod having a bevelled nose end and a notch formed along one side of said rod and spaced from said bevelled nose, pivot means for pivotally connecting the other end of said rod to said crank means fixed to said arcuate member, an axle carried by said rotatable head, a crank-like arm rotatably mounted on said axle, means for pivotally and slidably connecting the bevelled nose end of said rod and the free end of said crank-like arm to each other, means carried by said crank-like arm for engaging said driven element for oscillation of said crank-like arm about said axle to either of two extreme limits of movement to thereby effect movement of said rod and said arcuate member, said rod having three operative positions with respect to said crank-like arm, said three positions corresponding to the three recited positions of said arcuate member, the first position of said rod corresponding to said open position of said arcuate member having the rod positioned at the limit of oscillation of said cranklike arm in which the free end of said arm is furthernrost removed from the end of said rod pivoted to said crank means, said axle in the latter position being seated in said notch, the second rod position corresponding to said closed locked position of said arcuate member having the rod positioned at the opposite limit of oscillation of said crank-like arm, with the bevelled nose of the end of said rod connected to said crank-like arm rotated to a position beneath and engaging said axle to thereby hold and lock said rod against movement towards said first rod position, said crank-like arm and said connecting rod being moved from said first to said second position of said rod upon relative rotary movement of said head and said supporting means, and the third position of said rod corresponding to said closed unlocked position of said arcuate member having the bevelled nose end of said rod oscillated free of said axle by a rotation of said crank-like arm from said second position towards said first position to thereby release the nose of said rod from its locked position, the rotation of said crank-like arm and the movement of said rod from said second to said 7 third position being efiected by manual movement fi said References Cited in the file of this patent arcuate member from closed locked position to closed un- UNITED STATES PATENTS locked position to be thus released and movable with V said arcuate member to said first rod position as said 218321550 Mal-1170mm 1958 arcuate member is moved to said open position by said 5 FQREIGN PATENTS blasmg means- 804,230 France July-27 1935 934,693 France Jan, 19,1348 

